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Bipod question

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koshkin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Bipod question
    Posted: September/24/2007 at 17:38
I am looking to buy a new bipod for shooting prone.

A couple of question:

I've used Harris bipods before with reasonable success.  However, now I see some other brands also making bipods: B-Square, Caldwell and Versa-pod, for example.

Is Harris still the way to go? Also, which height do you typically use for shooting prone? most of my shooting prone has been done with a sling, so I am not entirely sure which bipod height would work best for me.

Then there is a question of whether I need swivel head or not.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
ILya
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tahqua View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/24/2007 at 19:18

I use Harris, the L for prone and the H for sitting. My H is too tall for me to shoot prone from.

I don't have the swivel heads.

 

Doug

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koshkin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/24/2007 at 19:30
Thanks.

How about notched legs vs standard?

ILya
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tahqua Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/24/2007 at 19:51
They have the notches. I can use a sling with them.
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Dale Clifford View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/24/2007 at 20:54

get the swivel head and the lever that goes on it called a pod-loc. the short bench harris 6-9 are usually the favored, but the operating theory here is to align the check to weld as close to possible as if you were shooting from a bench. so if your using an ar type with a "high" head set to start with you may want to go to the 9-13 harris. already being behind the gun as much as possible. some guys keep the sling on and pull the gun into the shoulder with the left hand, while some "press" against the bipod by digging in their toes slightly. sometimes the combination of a front bipod and rear monopod helps,

the longest varmit harris allows one to extent the legs, and shoot with the back against a brace, (car, building)

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koshkin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/24/2007 at 21:01
pod lock seems like a good idea.  I do not think I've seen that before, but it makes swivel head bipod a better option.

Now about bipod height: this is going on a bolt gun, and the question, I suppose is whether to get BR model (6"-9" height) or the LM model (9"-13" height).  Perhaps I need to experiment a little with my looped up prone to see what height I need. 

ILya
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Dale Clifford View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/24/2007 at 22:16
that would be good. also if your shooting over anything such as higher grass, logs or curbs. magazine length has a good deal to do with it also.  a generic is out now, I use one of theirs in the swivel also called  rock something, about $30 cheaper in each model, very well made and the attachment bolt has a better head on it. in the leg adjustable decide if you need infinite adjustable or whether the notch will suffice. both have the slurppies (are spring loaded and will "slurp" the legg in if activated) as opposed to military types which don't.
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koshkin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/25/2007 at 00:12
are you talking about Shooter's Ridge Rock Mount bipod, Dale?  It does look like a Harris clone.

ILya
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Anthony View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Anthony Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/25/2007 at 01:19

I find the controls on the GG&G bipod to be the easiest, (the height adjustment knobs are actually facing the shooter). In your case the only problem is that your using a bolt gun, and that usually doesn't have a picatinny rail on the underside of the forend, but there are some adapters you can get as well. Anyway I find it to be more stable and sturdy. All of the fasteners holding it together are marked as grade 4. But this isn't to say that Harris isn't a very high quality bipod either. If you have any questions, I have a harris 6-9" with leg notches, a Shooters ridge 9-13' without notches, and a gg&g with the swivel, and I can give you detailed information about any of them. Possably a picture... Oh and only bipods that are of Harris's design can be rigged to deploy rapidly, by tying the legs together...

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/25/2007 at 01:35
GG&G looks like a nice bipod, but it is more than I want to spend right now.  Besides, I am not a big fan of adaptors if I can avoid them: the fewer connections to loosen over time the better.  However, I'll keep it in mind if I need a bipod for an AR.

Is Shooter's ridge bipod of comparable quality to Harris?  id it coompatibly with the pod-lok that Dale mentioned?

Thanks.
ILya


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Anthony View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Anthony Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/25/2007 at 19:24

My Shooters ridge is functional, but fragile. The fasteners on the legs will come loose every so often, only from several deployments and retractions of the legs. Also the main screw that tightens the fit of the bipod to the rifle comes loose on mine under recoil, in turn causing a loose fit between the rifle and bipod. The Harris didn't give me such problems. But like I said it's functional, all you have to do is deal with the unstable legs(I smothered my fasteners with black loctite) and re-tighten the main screw every so often, which is easy to get at. But it's nice to have a bipod that isn't... well let's face it, crap.

 

I only have solid mount pods, so I don't know if the pod-loc will work. A great deal of the other parts that the bipods have will interchange though, so I would guess that it would work on the SR. I'm probably wrong about that though...

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/25/2007 at 20:40
ya the rock is the sub for harris, found them to be as good. both harris and rock will come loose if used hard, both need a very tight twist with a coin or something, the rock has a larger tension nut and also teflon filled than the harris, the loc pod will work on both. most shooters will fold the legs towards the front, turn it around and try folding them back to see if you like better. they wont go both ways like the trg, fns and parker hales, but for the money both are a great buy.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Anthony Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/27/2007 at 00:04

I won't say I disagree, because my harris has shorter legs than my SR. Therefore it is going hold up better just buy design, so I could be wrong...

 

Also one other thing I left out that may not matter to you (because you are looking at swivel models), is that my harris will rest naturally level, while my SR will rest canted. when I say that I mean that if I was to set my rifle down on a bench resting on the bipod and the toe of rifles stock, and I wasn't touching it, it would be level with the harris pod and canted with the SR.

 

 basically the importatant thing (to me) is that when I use my harris I never had to think about anything other than deploying and retracting the legs, but using my SR always requires some degree of attention throughout my shooting session...



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Dale Clifford View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September/27/2007 at 15:23

the harris designs are deficient in that the leg distance, between them is not enough to offer stability to larger, heavier top heavy guns and the point of contact ends up under the barrel creating a flippy flop condition. other designs have the pivot arm axis above the barrel and the barrel "hangs" from the bipod, (trg, fn) but on the other hand most of them are around $400.

with the solid mounted (non-swivel) harris the gun can be leveled by small adjustments to the legs (one longer than the other) on the one without the slots that has the tension adjustments -- it just takes more time. personally I leave the slant adjustment loose and don't hold the gun down, which mimics bench rest shooting to much. then i can make final adjustments to the horizon just before the trigger press. If time allows the best would be to make the adjustment from a bubble or electronic level before dial in .

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